US Senators ask Pfizer about donation to Dying with Dignity Canada, Canada's pro-euthanasia group.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalitio

Marco Rubio

On February 28, Marco Rubio (US Senator for Florida) questioned Pfizer's position on assisted suicide and euthanasia considering the fact that Pfizer has received millions of dollars from the US tax payer. Senator Rubio wrote:

A recent report exposed Pfizer’s financial assistance to Dying with Dignity Canada (DWDC), raising questions about its stance on assisted suicide. DWDC has pushed to expand the eligibility for “medically assisted death” to children as young as 12 years old. Pfizer’s support for DWDC raises concerns that it is complicit in prematurely ending lives. 

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and colleagues sent a letter to Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla regarding Pfizer’s donations to DWDC, and the company’s stance on “medically assisted death.” 

• “The practice of ‘medically assisted death’ contradicts Pfizer’s stated purpose of ‘delivering breakthroughs to change patients’ lives.’

• “As Pfizer has received millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to develop treatments and conduct medical research, Pfizer must be completely transparent to the federal government, and the American public, about where the company stands on medically assisted death.” 

Joining Rubio were Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), J.D. Vance (R-OH), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Mike Braun (R-IN) and Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Chris Smith (R-NJ).

The letter to Dr Bourla is attached (Link). 

The Senators asked Pfizer to provide specific answers to the following questions: 

1. Were U.S. taxpayer funds used to make the donation to DWDC? If not, from which source did the donation come from? Why was such a donation made by Pfizer and not its individual shareholders? 
2. What is Pfizer’s official position on “medically assisted death?”
   1. If Pfizer supports “medically assisted death,” does Pfizer support DWDC’s position that minors have the mental capacity to consent to “medically assisted death?”
      1. If so, has Pfizer disclosed this to shareholders?
   2. If Pfizer does not support “medically assisted death,” will Pfizer publicly commit to cease donations to DWDC and similar groups that support “medically assisted death?”
3. Does Pfizer currently manufacture and/or sell products that are used (regardless of whether prescribed off-label) for “medically assisted death” in the United States or elsewhere?
   1. If so, does Pfizer support groups like DWDC in order to increase market demand for its products?
4. Which criteria does Pfizer use to determine to whom they donate? 
5. How much, in total, has Pfizer donated to “medically assisted death” advocacy groups over the past ten years? 
6. Will Pfizer continue to donate to DWDC, or other “medically assisted death” advocacy groups, this year? 
7. Has Pfizer ever utilized its donations to DWDC, or similar groups, as a justification for a positive Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) rating?
   1. If so, does Pfizer consider “medically assisted death” to be a legitimate method for addressing climate change, environmental challenges, or social issues? 

We thank Senator Rubio, and the other Senator's and EPC has asked them to share the response from Pfizer, if Pfizer responds.

Canada's euthanasia lobby is receiving significant money from Canada's federal government and it is clearly not appropriate for Pfizer, that produces end-of-life drugs to be donating to the euthanasia lobby and as stated by the Senator's, it would be even more inappropriate if Pfizer is donating money obtained from the US government to donate to Canada's euthanasia lobby.